When she reached the front of the church, Francis took her hand in his, looking down into her eyes.
The next few minutes were a blur as the pastor carefully led them through their vows. Iris would never remember anything else about the ceremony except the words, "You may now kiss the bride."
Francis leaned down and kissed her, but not a sweet peck on the lips like she'd expected. He pulled her into his arms and dipped her back, kissing her madly. The congregation laughed and cheered for them as he set her back on her feet. The pastor introduced them as Mr. and Dr. Harvey. The name seemed strange, but Iris knew she was doing the right thing by taking it. She needed to have the same last name as her husband and the girls.
The girls jumped up and rushed Iris, all but knocking her down again. Katie buried her face in Iris's bosom. "I'm so glad you're my new ma."
Iris leaned down and kissed the top of the girl's head. "I'm glad to have such a sweet daughter."
Mallie just stood and beamed at Iris, as if she couldn't believe her luck. Ettie stood beside her sister. She looked pleased but worried as well.
Iris reached out and stroked Ettie's cheek. "Is something wrong?"
Ettie shrugged, obviously reluctant to talk about what was bothering her. "Not really."
Iris looked at Francis for a moment, ignoring the crowd of people around them. "If you'll excuse us, I need to have a talk with my new daughter." She put her hand through Ettie's arm and walked with her outside of the church, leaving Francis staring after them.
"Tell me what's wrong, Ettie. Didn't you want me to marry your pa?"
Ettie shook her head emphatically. "That isn't it at all, Dr. Iris. I mean Ma. I just—well, I feel like you like Mallie, 'cuz she's the oldest. I know you like Katie, because she's little and cute, but I'm just me. Boring old Ettie. I'm worried you won't want me, and I'll have nowhere to go."
Iris blinked a few times at the girl. She was only eight and had so many insecurities. "I do want you, Ettie. Mallie is older, and she's sweet. She's a big help around the house. And Katie is little and cute. But you? I think you and I are going to get along the best. You know why?"
Ettie shook her head, her eyes wide with wonder.
"Because you want to get along. The other two just assume I'm going to love them, but you? You're going to be on your best behavior and find things for us to do together so we can get along. And I'm going to need your help learning to be a good ma." Iris slipped her arm around the girl. "I'm so happy you're my daughter."
Ettie sniffled, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For being my ma." She rested her head on Iris's shoulder for a moment contentedly.
Iris stroked Ettie's back softly. "Are you ready to go back in?" she asked carefully. She didn't want the girl to feel rushed.
Ettie nodded. "Yes. All of our things are in the wagon to go to Aunt Tracy's. Are you and Pa driving us out there?"
Iris was hesitant to answer. She was relatively certain they would need to ride out with Tracy and Andy, but she didn't want to say that immediately. "Let's go see what your pa has planned." Really, she was ready to be alone with her husband, but she didn't want to say that to the girl.
She hoped their conversation was enough that they would have a harmonious start to their first month as a family. Iris had never been a mother before, so she needed the girls to help her along as she learned.
When she reached Francis's side again, he raised an eyebrow. She nodded to let him know that all was well before taking his hand. "What's the plan now?" she whispered, feeling as if they were being stared at by everyone.
"I don't know," he whispered back. "There's no reception, so I thought people would just leave."
Iris stifled a giggle. It would be nice to know what to expect at her own wedding, but sometimes you just had to go along and see what happened.
Tracy came over and pulled Iris into a tight hug. "It's so nice to have a new sister."
Iris smiled. "Thank you for welcoming me. A woman can never have enough sisters."
Francis let out a bark of laughter. "This from a woman with seven sisters."
Tracy put her lips to Iris's ear. "Do you want me to take the girls to my house now? That way everyone will know the ceremony is over and head home."
Iris nodded. She wanted to be alone with her new husband more than anything. "Please. I'm ready to get out of here."
Tracy stepped back. "I know you two are ready to be off, so I'll take the girls home with me now. Did you put clothes for them in your wagon?"
Francis smiled, understanding immediately what Tracy was trying to do for them. "I put everything in your wagon after we got here."
"Sounds good." Tracy's voice was no-nonsense. She turned to Andy who was right behind her. "Time for us to go. We'll give them back after church on Sunday."
All three girls hugged Francis and Iris before following their aunt and uncle out the door. As Tracy had predicted, everyone else disappeared quickly. Iris was quickly introduced to Francis's other brother Arthur, and she got a quick hug from Mattie.
Before Iris knew it, the only people left in the church were her, Francis, and Edna Petunia who was sitting calmly in a pew as if she had all the time in the world to sit there and pray. Iris asked no questions, because she knew she would get no answers.
"Are you ready?" Francis asked.
Iris nodded. "I've been ready. Let's go get the last of my things from my house."
Francis made a face. "Do you need them right away? I was hoping we could go straight to our place." He stroked her back as he said the words, leaving her in no doubt of why he was in a hurry.
Iris nodded. "Yes, I do. I'm sorry." She didn't want to delay things any more than he did, but she hadn't worked that long and hard on the nightgown to not use it on her wedding night. Or wedding afternoon as the case may be.
"All right then. Let's go get them."
He offered her his arm as they walked out into the churchyard to his wagon. "Is there a lot?" he asked, helping her up.
She shook her head. "Just one small trunk. I sent everything else with you and the girls on Saturday."
He ran around the wagon and climbed up beside her. "So how long do you think this is going to take?"
Iris looked at him slyly. "Are you in a hurry?"
He cupped the back of her neck, pulling her to him. His kiss took her by surprise. All of the pent up passion from the last week was in it. He nipped at her bottom lip before raising his head. "I don't know. Are you?"
Iris sighed. "I guess I am. Why are we wasting our time sitting here talking?"
He laughed, and picked up the reins. "Let's get moving."
When they reached her little house, it felt eerily silent to her. She knew that Edna Petunia was packed up to move, well, wherever she was moving to. She led him into her bedroom and pointed to the trunk. The bed was nicely made, but it was a house that she'd rented fully furnished, so she left it the way she'd found it.
Francis looked at the trunk and then at his new wife. They were alone. He wasn't about to waste the opportunity. Instead of picking up the trunk, he took a step toward Iris and pulled her to him, his mouth finding hers while his hands roamed up and down her back. He cupped her bottom and pulled her hips against his. "I want to be inside you," he whispered.
Iris hadn't even considered that anything could possibly happen at her house. She looked up at him for a moment and then slowly nodded. "That's what I want too." She pulled his head down for another kiss, and he slowly backed her toward the bed. When she felt it hit the back of her thighs, she sat down on it. He pushed her to her back and followed her down.
"I need you, Iris." His words were accompanied by his fingers at the neck of her dress, freeing the buttons from their holes.
Iris grasped his shoulders. "I'm yours." And she was. Never in her life had she wanted to belong to someone the way she did Francis.
He lowered his mouth to hers, his fingers
making quick work of her buttons. Her hands went to his jacket and pushed it off his shoulders. He moved so that his hips were in the notch between her thighs. He pressed against her, groaning at the exquisite pleasure of being so close to her, knowing they wouldn't have to stop this time.
"Iris? What are you doing here?"
Francis groaned as he heard Edna Petunia's voice accompanied by the door closing. He looked up, and there she was. He rolled off his new bride and raked his fingers through his hair.
Edna looked like she was stifling laughter. "Couldn't wait, could you?"
Francis sighed. "I guess we'll have to." He got to his feet while Iris hastily buttoned her dress.
"What are you doing here, Edna Petunia?" Iris asked, blushing profusely. She couldn't believe she'd been caught, but at least they were married when they were caught. She would have been mortified if someone had happened upon them in the wagon the week before.
"I came to get my things," the older woman replied. "I'll be on my way in a minute. If you can wait that long, you're welcome to carry on."
Francis shook his head. "I think we'll go to my place, but thank you kindly for the offer."
Edna was still laughing as she closed the front door behind them.
Chapter Nine
When they pulled up in front of Francis's home thirty minutes later, Iris felt like she was about to come out of her skin. She was desperate to get into the bedroom with her new husband and consummate their marriage. Few words had been exchanged on the ride from town, because both were too wound up to try to converse. They wanted nothing from life but to be in bed together, and they both knew it.
He helped her down from the wagon and carried her trunk inside. "My bedroom is the only one on this floor," he told her, before ducking back outside to deal with the horses.
Iris didn't wait for more information. She opened the first door she saw and was surprised to see a bathroom complete with running water. She hadn't expected that in Texas, even though she'd grown up with the convenience in Seattle. She closed that door and opened the only other door there.
That's what she'd been looking for. His bedroom was definitely a man's room. There was a huge four poster bed along one wall, with a dresser and a wardrobe along the others. The only other piece of furniture was a rocking chair.
Iris grabbed her new nightgown from the trunk, and changed quickly. The gown was an emerald green which matched her eyes perfectly. She climbed into the bed and resisted the urge to cover up. She'd spent too much time on this nightgown to be covered when Francis first saw her in it.
Francis finished with the horses and opened the front door. He hoped that Iris was waiting for him and hadn't gotten involved in doing anything else. He was worried she'd gone off to explore the house or started puttering in the kitchen.
He opened the door, and she was nowhere to be seen. He walked to his bedroom, noticing immediately the door was standing open. When he spotted her, his heart stopped beating for a moment, and then sped up to twice its normal pace.
She was lounging on her side on the bed, her eyes meeting his immediately. Her nightgown covered her breasts and all the way down to her ankles, except for the slit that went all the way up one thigh, almost to her hip. It was low-cut, so her breasts were tantalizingly displayed for him.
He swallowed hard, more than a little nervous. Yes, he'd done this before, but it had been a long time, and his wife hadn't been particularly interested in his attentions. Iris was, and he desperately wanted to keep it that way.
He walked into the room and closed the door, immediately shrugging out of his suit coat. He laid it over the arm of the rocking chair and kicked off his shoes. "You look more beautiful than any woman I've ever seen." He wasn't given to flowery speeches, but there was just something about his wife that made him want to write poetry or compose songs to her beauty.
Iris smiled, not certain how to respond to the compliment. If she said 'thank you,' would he assume that she agreed that she was beautiful? She remained silent watching him as he removed his tie and then his shirt.
His chest was covered with a light dusting of hair that looked soft to her. She couldn't wait to find out how it felt. She wanted to touch him everywhere, lick him everywhere. She hoped he was a patient man, because there was a lot of exploring she wanted to do before the night was out.
Francis toed his socks off, standing in front of her in only his slacks. He'd never undressed when it was light out with Katherine, but with Iris? He knew she wouldn't be shocked by the sight of his nudity. It wasn't just that she was a doctor either. Iris was a sexual woman, and she was clearly comfortable with this side of herself.
His hands went to the fastening of his pants, and he looked at her face. Her eyes were steadily watching his hands, waiting for him to reveal his entire body to her. He was surprised to find that he was a bit embarrassed about shedding his pants while she watched so intently, but he dropped them anyway, moving quickly to join her on the bed.
Francis knelt on the bed facing his new bride, wondering if she would lay quietly while he took charge. Somehow he doubted it, but he couldn't help but wonder if that was her plan.
Iris got to her knees facing Francis, a smile on her lips. "I've seen many drawings of the male anatomy. I've even seen some naked men in my studies and time as a doctor. Never have I seen one as magnificent as you are." She reached down and traced a finger across his erection. "Never have I seen one in quite the state you're in either."
Francis sucked in a breath at her touch. "I should hope not." He knelt quietly on the bed while she explored him with just her index finger. He couldn't tolerate her touch for an extended period, though, and after a moment, he caught her hand. "You have to stop. I can't wait long as it is."
Iris pouted a little as her explorations were stopped, but she quickly leaned forward to kiss his lips. "I don't know that I want you to wait long."
He groaned, pulling her closer to him. His hands roamed over her body through the thin silk of her nightgown. He cupped her breast in his hand, his thumb finding her nipple and teasing it. He kissed his way down her cheek and to her neck, nipping at it softly.
Iris tilted her head to the side to give him better access to her neck. His touch felt so good. She wanted him to touch her bare skin, but she wasn't certain if she should suggest removing her nightgown. Maybe he liked her better with it on.
Francis pushed down the thin strap to her gown, his lips tracing her shoulder. He loved her nightgown, but all he could think of doing was taking it off. "Are you attached to this nightgown?" he asked quietly.
Iris looked at him with a frown. "Well, I like it, but I wouldn't mind taking it off."
Before the words were finished passing her lips, he pushed it down off her shoulders, letting it pool at her waist. When her breasts were bared to his view, he leaned down and caught one of her nipples in his mouth, his tongue teasing her.
Iris moaned softly, winding her fingers through his hair. "That feels so good."
He pushed her gown the rest of the way off, laying her on the bed and following her down. He came down over her, his lips toying with hers as his hands stroked up and down her body. His knee moved between her thighs, spreading them wide for his touch.
When Iris felt his flesh touch her most secret place, she almost came off the bed. She needed more from him than just the touch of his knee against her. She needed him buried deep inside her. Yes, she may be a virgin, but she'd studied enough about human anatomy that she was desperate to have him. "Please."
Francis was startled by the word that passed her lips. "What?" What did she mean by 'please?'
"I need you inside me. Stop playing and come to me. Please." Iris knew the words were wanton, but she didn't care. A woman was made to feel pleasure just like a man was. She didn't care what anyone said.
Francis moved his hand between her thighs to test her readiness for him. He wasn't about to deny her, but he didn't want to hurt her either. As soon as he touched her, he fe
lt her moistness and sighed. "Are you sure you're ready?" He knew she was physically, but he needed to her to be ready in every way for his invasion of her body.
"Yes! I've been ready!" She knew she sounded demanding. She knew she'd probably be embarrassed to remember this moment later, but for now, she needed him and she wasn't about to deny it.
Francis moved so he was lying between her spread thighs. His mouth covered hers as he reached down with one hand to guide himself to her entrance. Carefully he moved inside her, doing his best not to hurt her. He reached her maidenhead and pushed hard, cringing at her gasp of pain.
When he was seated all the way inside her, he stopped, looking down at her face to be certain she wasn't in too much pain. He leaned down and kissed her softly. "Are you all right?"
Iris laid there for a moment taking stock. Yes, it had hurt, but not nearly as badly as she'd thought it would. More than anything, she felt full. He felt huge inside her, but it was a pleasant fullness. She arched her hips, moving up against him and he groaned.
"You can't move like that unless you're ready for me to continue."
Iris widened her eyes, trying to look innocent as she made the move again. "You mean like this?"
His mouth dropped to hers as his hips began the age-old rhythm. He just had to last longer than she did, he told himself. Katherine had never found pleasure in his arms, but he had no doubt Iris would. The sexy woman in bed with him was wild for him, and he couldn't have been happier.
Iris felt her body tightening with every move he made. She wanted more. No, she needed more. She knew on paper what should happen to her body, but experiencing it was something else entirely. She could feel her passion building, and she wanted everything from this experience.
Francis felt the sweat standing out on his brow with the effort it took to hold off until his sweet bride finished. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him in even deeper.
She moaned loudly as she met every thrust with one of her own. Finally, she felt herself shatter and let out a low wailing sound, arching up into him.
Iris (Suitors of Seattle Book 8) Page 10